Wastewater pump station venting system and method

Abstract

A wastewater pump station venting system includes at least one wastewater discharge conduit; a wastewater pump station having a station interior disposed in fluid communication with the wastewater discharge conduit; at least one fresh air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the station interior; at least one gas vent conduit having a vent conduit inlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the station interior and a vent conduit outlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the vent conduit inlet segment; at least one vent air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the gas vent conduit between the vent conduit inlet segment and the vent conduit outlet segment, the vent air inlet conduit disposed at an acute angle relative to the vent conduit inlet segment and an obtuse angle relative to the vent conduit outlet segment; at least one vent fan disposed in fluid communication with the vent air inlet conduit; and at least one power source electrically interfacing with the vent fan. A wastewater pump station venting method is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wastewater pump station venting system, comprising:
 at least one wastewater discharge conduit; 
 a wastewater pump station having a station interior disposed in fluid communication with the wastewater discharge conduit; 
 at least one fresh air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the station interior; 
 at least one gas vent conduit having a vent conduit inlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the station interior and a vent conduit outlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the vent conduit inlet segment; 
 at least one vent air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the gas vent conduit between the vent conduit inlet segment and the vent conduit outlet segment, the vent air inlet conduit disposed at an acute angle relative to the vent conduit inlet segment and an obtuse angle relative to the vent conduit outlet segment; 
 at least one vent fan disposed in the vent air inlet conduit; and 
 at least one power source electrically interfacing with the vent fan. 
 
     
     
       2. The wastewater pump station venting system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one odor-absorbing filter in the gas vent conduit. 
     
     
       3. The wastewater pump station of  claim 2  wherein the odor-absorbing filter is disposed within the vent conduit outlet segment of the gas vent conduit. 
     
     
       4. The wastewater pump station of  claim 2  wherein the odor-absorbing filter comprises volcanic rock. 
     
     
       5. The wastewater pump station of  claim 1  wherein the power source comprises at least one solar panel. 
     
     
       6. The wastewater pump station of  claim 5  wherein the solar panel is carried by the vent air inlet conduit. 
     
     
       7. The wastewater pump station of  claim 1  wherein the fresh air inlet conduit extends into the station interior. 
     
     
       8. The wastewater pump station of  claim 1  wherein the vent fan comprises a fan motor carried by the vent air inlet conduit, a fan shaft drivingly engaged by the fan motor and fan blades drivingly engaged by the fan shaft. 
     
     
       9. A wastewater pump station venting system, comprising:
 at least one wastewater discharge conduit; 
 a wastewater pump station having a station interior disposed in fluid communication with the wastewater discharge conduit, the station interior including a lower station interior portion and an upper station interior portion above the lower station interior portion; 
 at least one fresh air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the lower station interior portion of the station interior; 
 at least one gas vent conduit having a vent conduit inlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the upper station interior portion of the station interior and a vent conduit outlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the vent conduit inlet segment, the gas vent conduit adapted to convey a stream of gas/air mixture; 
 at least one vent air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the gas vent conduit between the vent conduit inlet segment and the vent conduit outlet segment, the vent air inlet conduit disposed at an acute angle relative to the vent conduit inlet segment and an obtuse angle relative to the vent conduit outlet segment; 
 at least one vent fan disposed in the vent air inlet conduit, the vent fan isolated from the stream of gas/air mixture in the gas vent conduit; and 
 at least one power source electrically interfacing with the vent fan. 
 
     
     
       10. The wastewater pump station venting system of  claim 9  further comprising at least one odor-absorbing filter in the gas vent conduit. 
     
     
       11. The wastewater pump station of  claim 10  wherein the odor-absorbing filter is disposed within the vent conduit outlet segment of the gas vent conduit. 
     
     
       12. The wastewater pump station of  claim 10  wherein the odor-absorbing filter comprises volcanic rock. 
     
     
       13. The wastewater pump station of  claim 9  wherein the power source comprises at least one solar panel. 
     
     
       14. The wastewater pump station of  claim 13  wherein the solar panel is carried by the vent air inlet conduit. 
     
     
       15. The wastewater pump station of  claim 9  wherein the fresh air inlet conduit extends into the station interior. 
     
     
       16. The wastewater pump station of  claim 9  wherein the vent fan comprises a fan motor carried by the vent air inlet conduit, a fan shaft drivingly engaged by the fan motor and fan blades drivingly engaged by the fan shaft. 
     
     
       17. A wastewater pump station venting system, comprising:
 at least one wastewater discharge conduit, the wastewater discharge conduit conveys a stream of wastewater, 
 a wastewater pump station having a station interior disposed in fluid communication with the wastewater discharge conduit, the station interior including a lower station interior portion and an upper station interior portion above the lower station interior portion, the lower station interior portion contains a quantity of wastewater from the stream of wastewater; 
 at least one fresh air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the lower station interior portion of the station interior, the fresh air inlet conduit extending vertically through the station interior and having a fresh air conduit discharge end disposed in fluid communication with the lower station interior portion of the station interior, the fresh air inlet conduit conveys a stream of fresh air into the lower station interior portion; 
 at least one vertical gas vent conduit having a vent conduit inlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the upper station interior portion of the station interior and a vent conduit outlet segment disposed in fluid communication with the vent conduit inlet segment, the gas vent conduit conveys a stream of gas/air mixture resulting from mixing of the stream of wastewater and the stream of fresh air from the station interior; 
 at least one vent air inlet conduit disposed in fluid communication with the gas vent conduit between the vent conduit inlet segment and the vent conduit outlet segment, the vent air inlet conduit disposed at an acute angle relative to the vent conduit inlet segment and an obtuse angle relative to the vent conduit outlet segment, the vent air inlet conduit conveys a stream of vent air into the vent conduit outlet segment of the gas vent conduit; 
 the stream of vent air induces reduced pressure in the vent conduit inlet segment of the gas vent conduit and the station interior and the reduced pressure generates and draws the stream of gas/air mixture from the station interior into and through the gas vent conduit; 
 a fan conduit disposed in fluid communication with the vent air inlet conduit; 
 a fan housing disposed in fluid communication with the fan conduit; 
 at least one vent fan disposed in the fan housing, the vent fan isolated from the stream of gas/air mixture in the gas vent conduit and the vent fan generates the stream of vent air through the fan conduit and the vent air inlet conduit, respectively; and 
 at least one power source electrically interfacing with the vent fan. 
 
     
     
       18. The wastewater pump station venting system of  claim 17  further comprising at least one odor-absorbing filter in the vent conduit outlet segment of the gas vent conduit. 
     
     
       19. The wastewater pump station venting system of  claim 18  wherein the odor-absorbing filter comprises volcanic rock. 
     
     
       20. The wastewater pump station of  claim 17  wherein the power source comprises at least one solar panel. 
     
     
       21. A wastewater pump station venting method, comprising:
 providing system of  claim 1 ; 
 positioning a vent fan outside a flow path for a stream of gas/air mixture to be discharged from a wastewater pump station; 
 inducing reduced pressure in the flow path by directing a stream of vent air at an angle to the flow path via operation of the vent fan; 
 discharging a stream of wastewater into the wastewater pump station; 
 forming the stream of gas/air mixture in the wastewater pump station by discharging a stream of fresh air into the wastewater pump station; and 
 discharging the stream of gas/air mixture from the wastewater pump station along the flow path via the reduced pressure.